Improvement in nail-plate feeders



R. C. TURNER.

NAIL-PLATE FEEDER. -No.176,384-. Patented Apri118, 1876.

N. PETERS. PNOTGLITHOGRAPHER, WASHXNGTON. D C.

pillars A and C is the pillar B, which supports feed the pawl K to turnthe bevel-gear J, which NI'IED STATES PTEN'r QFFICE.

HIS RIGHT TO 0. H. S'PAULDING- OF SAME PLACE.

AND ONE-THIRD TO JAMES KENYON,

IMPROVEMENT IN NAIL-PLATE FEEDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 176.384, dated April18, 1876; application tiled January 7, 1876.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT C. TURNER, of Steubenville, in the, county ofJefferson and State of Ohio, have invented a new and usefulImprovementin Nail-Plate Feeders for machines for making nails, of whichthe following-is a specification:

My invention is designed to turn and feed the nail-plate for the actionof the cutter and the particular features of my improvement will bespecifically and fully set forth and pointed out in the followingdescription and claims.

I have shown in the accompanying drawings only so much of'a completemachine as is deemed necessary to illustrate the features of myinvention in connection with a nail-plate feeder, and in which- Figure 1represents a side elevation of the nail-plate holding and feedingmechanism; Fig. 2, a top view of the same Fig. 3, an elevation of theopposite side from that shown in Fig. 1 Fig. 4, an enlarged view of aslotted arm in Fig. 1; and'.Fig. 5, a crosssection of the box whichcarries the feeding-screw.

The several opera-ting devices-are supported by pillars A B G, and thenail-plate is held and carried by the nipper w on the end of thefeeding-rod c, said feeding-rod being supported and operated" by meansof the several devices hereinafter described.

The movements of the several devices are produced by and from the motionof the pijvoted cutting-lever d of ainail-machine. The feeding-rod e issupported and carried at two points, the outer one, f, being a bearingin the standard (J, and the inner one being a jaw screw-nut, carriedb'ya box, h, Fig. 2, having a compound movement, for a purpose to bepresently described. This box h is sup-- ported upon the pillars A, andbetween the the ratchet and gear wheels I and J. The ratchet-wheel Ireceives its motion by means of a pawl-connection, K, with thecuttinglever d, being pivoted thereto at l by an adjustable rod, Z insuch manner and by such means that the vibrations of the cutting-lever dwill meshes with a bevel-pinion, J, through which pinion the feedingrode passes. The ascent of the cutting lever d moves the pawl K back overthe ratchet I, and the descent of the said cutting-lever turns theratchet I and bevelgear J J, and by this movement the feedingrod 6 isturned half a revolution to give the nail-plate held in the nipper x theproper position for the action of the cutter. The feeding-rod e has ascrew-thread, m, formed upon it, which works in the jaw screw-nut g andby this screw the feeding of the nail-plategis both effected andregulated. There are, however, several important peculiarities aboutthis screw feed device. The screw is of a greater diameter than the rod6. Its length must be equal to that of the nail-plate. The object ofthese two features is to prevent the feed of the rod c after thenail-plate is used up, except that portion of the said nail-plate whichis held in the nippers, and to render the feedingscrew inoperative untilit is againvset back into the jaw screw-nut g. The pitch of the threadsof the screw and jaw screw-nut must always be double the width of thenail required to be cut, so that a half revolution of the rod 0 and,consequently, of the screw m will .present for the operation of thecutter just a sufficient quantity of iron to make a nail of the widthrequired. This feeding-rod c is provided with a collar, n, at asufficient distance from the inner end of the screw m to allow saidscrew to pass through the jaw-nut g, the object and purpose of which areto prevent the nipper w from sliding forward into the nail-machine afterthe operation of cutting up the plate is completed.

As it is necessary to move the feeding-rod 6 back after each nail iscut, and as it is also necessary to raise the nail-plate to turn itafter each nail is out, I have combined with the box h, which carriesthe jaw-nut g, devices for effecting these combined movements. Thedevices by which I carry into effect these movements consist of aconnecting-rod, 'p, pivoted to and receiving a vibratory motion from thecutting-lever d, the other end of said rod 1) being connected by a pin,1', toa slotted arm, q, 011 the end of a rock-rod, s, fitted in suitablebearing in the pillar A and carrying a pinion, T, which meshes with apinion, u, on the end of a rock-rod, c, Fig. 1, which carries eccentricsw, (shown in Figs. 3 and 5,) which bear against the under side of thebox h to give it the upward movement, thus raising the nailplate asnfficient distance to allow it to be turned before it comes in contactwith the bed-knifeyof the nail-machine. The cam-rod '0 also carriesforked arms f, Fig. 3, which, by the motion of said rod, are pressedagainst an extension, 3 in the bottom of the box h, or may be connectedwith or fitted into openings which may be made in the bottom of the boxh, so that the rocking or turning of the camrod 12 will cause the saidarms to move the box It and the feeding-rod 6 back to take the nailplateheld by the nipper .r back from the cutter, to clear the latter inturning the plate. In this operation the slot g Fig. 4, serves animportant function, viz: Its lower end has a notch, z, into which thepin 1', Fig. 1, takes and forms a dog, or hold, to raise the slotted armq, Fig. 4, and turn the pinion T, Fig. 1, and with it the pinion u, thusgiving the upward motion to the movable box h, Fig. 2, by the eccentricsor cams a; while the backward movement of the movable screw-nut g iseffected by the pressure of the arms .1 and the forward movement, uponthe pressure of said arms being withdrawn, is effected by thecoilsprings on the horizontal rods z and to allow of this movement ofthe nutg it is secured to a horizontal bar, which is mounted upon twohorizontal rods, z provided with coil-springs to throw forward the boxand feeding-rod as aforesaid, and upon these rods 2 the nut g and barhave their movements. The feedingrod 6 has a slot fitted with a keyfastened in the small bevel-wheel J to allow the rod to move lengthwisewhile being turned by the bevelgearing, and it is of course understoodthat this turning movement of the feedingrod is intermittent. It must beobserved, however, that the action of the rod p, by means of the pin 1*in the notch z, is to raise the arm q a suitable distance to give therequired movements to the box It and the nut g, and then the pin 1' willautomatically release itself from the said notch, and thus allow the armq to fall by its own weight, and thereby put all the parts of thisconnection in the position they occupy when the nail is being cut, andtherefore in readiness to repeat the operation above described.

I have placed the entire machine, as above described, on a movableplate, H, the position of which may be changed to the right or left, orraised or lowered, by means of screws or other devices D, Figs. 1', 2,3. This movable plate H rests upon a permanent plate or foundation, andit is provided with segmental slots, through which the fastenings pass,and by which its adjustment is effected, as may be necessary to securethe proper angles for the nail-plate, with regard to the knife in thecutting-lever d.

In order to prevent any strain or binding on the feeding-rod 6, it isjointed to that portion, 0, which passes through the bevel-pinion J, bya universal joint, E, between the bearing f and the collar n,.so that bythis means the rising and falling movement of the box It and feedingscrew is accommodated without disturbing the connection of the latterwith its operating gearing.

The carriage h has a spring, L, connecting its lower end with the plateH, by which its descent is insured after being elevated.

The jaw-nut g is opened upon its hinge for adjusting the screw m to itsproper position for work.

I claim- 1. The combination, with the pivoted cutting-lever d, theholding and feeding screwrod 6, and the pawl-connection K P, of the rodp, connecting the screw raising and lowering devices, so that thesedevices and the feeding-screw rod are controlled by direct connectionswith the nail-cutting lever.

2. The combination, with the pivoted cutting-lever d, of theconnecting-rod p, slotted arm q, and the devices for both raising andlowering the nail-plate, and moving it backward and forward,substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

3. In a nail-plate holding and feeding machine, the arm q, having theslot 3 and the notch z for operation, in connection with the pivotedcutting-lever d and feeding-screw, in raising the feeding-screw, andreleasing automatically the arm by which such elevation was effected.

4. The combination, with the pivoted lever d, the connecting-rod p, andthe slotted holding-arm q, of the eccentrics w and the feedscrew box h,as and for the purpose herein set forth.

5. The combination, with the feeding-screw rod 6 and the jaw-nut g, ofthe movable box h, the eccentrics w, and the arms as, as and for thepurpose herein set forth.

6. The bed-plate H, provided with slots and set-screws D at both endsthereof, whereby either or both its ends may be adjusted with regard tothe pivoted cuttinglever, as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in the presence ofwitnesses.

ROBERT C. TURNER.

Witnesses:

JNO. W. EVANS, JAS. E. MYERS, W. V. B. UROSKEY.

